THE CAPTIVE MOON: AND OTHER CELESTIAL STORIES Comes to Soft Brain Theatre Company

Soft Brain Theatre Company will present The Captive Moon (and Other Celestial Stories), an original devised play that seamlessly blends Commedia dell'Arte elements with a captivating score. The Captive Moon is inspired by Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics, a collection of short stories written in 1960s-Italy, exploring life on the moon by ways of absurdism, psychedelia, and folktale storytelling. The Captive Moon (and Other Celestial Stories) runs at the Gene Frankel Theatre from March 20 - 30.

Directed by SBTC Co-Founding Artistic Director, RJ Tabachnick, The Captive Moon integrates several styles of physical comedy including clown, mime, and Soft Brain's signature foundational style, Commedia dell'Arte. The script of The Captive Moon was developed by Lila Perlman, and the show's original score was written by Austria-based composer Lily Hitelman. The play was devised in-company throughout Fall 2024.

“Italo Calvino's writing is poetic and poignant, whimsical and wacky: the perfect inspiration for a modern Commedia dell'Arte-infused play,” says director RJ Tabachnick. “The Captive Moon (and Other Celestial Stories) uses style and absurdity in a simplistic way to rejuvenate the mundane. In our current world of chaos and conflict, in a city whose pace is ever increasing, our show is a reminder to slow down, look up at the moon, and find wonder and comfort.”

In The Captive Moon, a young boy discovers his great-great-great-uncle's biggest secret, which inspires them to do the unthinkable: get in the old rowboat, and take a trip to the Moon. Clowns, conspiracy theorists, and catapulting Moon Cheese provide the comic relief as the story explores the loss of wonder and how to get your shine back.

“Calvino's stories are full of improbable and imaginative images that take form only in the minds of readers. Inspired by his style, we asked, ‘How do we put a world like that on stage?'” said playwright Lila Perlman. “We suspected that the modes of clown and Commedia dell'Arte would be perfectly suited to the challenge. The world of theatrical clown naturally captures Calvino's blend of sincerity and lighthearted irreverence. Because Soft Brain is a close ensemble of physical actors, I knew that I could write specific action sequences and stage pictures, and trust that the company would bring them to life.”

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